Burning Up
by Gwinny
Summary: Victorian AU. Sherlock and Molly enter into an arranged marriage.
1. Chapter 1

Sherlock belongs to ACD and to the creators of BBC Sherlock.

"How do you feel about your upcoming nuptials?" Miss Mary Morstan asked of her friend, Molly Hooper.

"I feel like a piece of chattel, being sold to the highest bidder," she responded. "It's mortifying! My family is selling me because after two seasons on the shelf nobody has made me an offer because of my plain face."

"You're lovely!" Mary cried. "You have beautiful glossy hair and your chocolate eyes are so warm and friendly. You're petite and well formed, there is so much about you that is attractive."

"Everything you've just described as 'lovely' is what is out of fashion! The fashion is to be blonde, buxom and blue eyed. Everything that you are. Men don't want to dance with me, let alone marry me."

"Well one man does, Mr. Holmes does," Mary said slyly to her friend.

Molly drew a sigh, "He only wants me because he needs a wife," Molly replied. "My family is the only one willing to overlook the Holmes eccentricities and the only one desperate enough to sell their daughter."

"Well Mr. Holmes is incredibly handsome for all his eccentricity and we both know about his intelligence," Mary said, "I also think he wants you for more than his wife."

"You mean to help him with his experiments?" Molly questioned.

"No, I mean for his bed."

Molly laughed, "You would be wrong, I've only seen him five times and each time we've been accompanied. Each time we played chess and he scarcely said a word to me."

"No, Molly, I've seen the way he looks at you and it is not a 'oh she'll do well for my wife' look it's the look of a man who feels deeply and passionately for the woman he knows will be his."

"I'm sure you're just imagining things in this hot ballroom he is just grateful that I'm marrying him. When we spend any time together he rarely speaks to me or looks at me as if he's just bored and has far more important things to do with his time."

"Well, we'll soon find out as he is coming this way and it looks like he has something to say to you Molly." Mary spoke as she walked away leaving Molly alone with her fiance Mr. Sherlock Holmes.


	2. Chapter 2

Sherlock Holmes had always prided himself on being a man who could view the world with a keen scientific eye and not let sentiment cloud his judgment. However, there was something that was challenging this, a small beautiful woman, Miss Molly Hooper.

His brother, Mycroft, insisted that it was time for Sherlock to marry. Mycroft had the idea that if he wanted society to overlook his detective work and experiments they would be more apt to if he showed them that he was similar to them by taking a wife. While Sherlock frankly didn't give a toss about what society thought of him he did care about Mummy and what it would mean to her. He couldn't bear her losing her place in London society simply because of her eccentric sons. So Sherlock had reluctantly allowed Mycroft to search for a suitable wife.

Sherlock didn't really care what wife Mycroft found for him as long as she wasn't a simpleton. Now, here he was betrothed to marry Miss Molly Hooper, daughter of Thomas Hooper a mortician. The family was a solid middle class family and had been appreciative of the Holmes family wanting to marry their daughter.

Everyone had accepted their betrothal with delight with the exception of his bride to be. He knew Molly balked at the idea of a member of the peerage asking for her hand in marriage and her family receiving money in exchange. He couldn't understand her resentment though it was beneficial to her and to her family.

He had come to this ball tonight to spend time with his fiancée and find out more about her thoughts. He entered the ballroom and scanned the room for her and then found his eyes locked with her beautiful chocolate brown ones. He had to admit to himself that Mycroft had done well in choosing Molly, she was petite and very pretty, she was also highly intelligent and would undoubtedly help him in his cases and experiments. He felt a deep well of satisfaction that she would soon be his bride.


End file.
